Viliam Klimáček’s historical novel is both heartbreaking and hopeful as it shares the stories of families displaced by the Soviet occupation of Czechoslovakia. When the Warsaw Pact countries invade Czechoslovakia in August of 1968,... Read More

Karl Schlögel’s cultural history "The Scent of Empires" tells the story of two perfumes that permeated portions of the twentieth century. In 1913, French perfumers were commissioned to create a scent to celebrate 300 years of Romanov... Read More

A mother’s sudden death leads to the uncovering of shocking family secrets in Lutishia Lovely’s intriguing novel "Blind Ambition". Drained from a grueling divorce and wanting to change things for herself and her son, Chantel moves... Read More

The crafted stories of Jyotsna Sreenivasan’s collection "These Americans" offer the perspectives of immigrant and native-born Indian Americans as they balance Indian culture with the expectations with American life. “Mirror” begins... Read More

Amateur sleuth and literary translator Cassandra Reilly returns in Barbara Wilson’s "Not the Real Jupiter", an engrossing mystery about the secrets behind a small Portland press. Cassandra is translating the work of a fiery Uruguayan,... Read More

Happiness is a horror when you don’t believe you deserve it; so an immigrant learns in Yelena Moskovich’s daring literary novel, "A Door Behind a Door". Olga, who grew up on a struggling Soviet block, now lives in desperate love with... Read More

About difficult and rewarding connections across generational and cultural divides, Yang Huang’s novel "My Good Son" is a captivating masterpiece centered around a father and son in post-Tiananmen Square China. Despite Mr. Cai’s best... Read More

Designer Michelle Mason, the cofounder of the East London vintage shop Mason & Painter, delivers "Vintage Shops London", a thorough introduction to where savvy shoppers can find “pre-loved” bargains. Secondhand shopping is a... Read More